Over the last twelve months, The Falmouth Van Working Group has been exploring the reasons and impact of overnight parking in and around Falmouth's seafront area.

The group is made up of residents, business representatives, van dwellers, and Council Officers and has been working with The University Exeter to better understand the reasons why people stay in vans and choose Falmouth as a place to visit or stay for longer.

They are now looking for ideas from Falmouth residents to come up with the best solutions possible, Laurie Magowan the Cornwall Councillor for Falmouth Arwenack and Chair of the group, said: "After lots of work over the last twelve months, it is now time to engage with the wider community through a public highways consultation and I welcome contributions on proposed parking restrictions and other solutions to the issues raised".

The Parking Consultation for Cliff Road and Boscawen Road90 is due to take place from today the 3rd to the 30th of November.

Those wishing to express their thoughts or idea should email Infrastructure Design at [email protected], quoting the scheme name and reference (EDG2107), and indicating your support or objection to the proposals.

You can also respond on the consultation link Consultation details (engagespace.co.uk).

The group has also explored how other coastal areas manage overnight parking arrangements and heard from Bristol City Council about supporting van dwellers and the Campaign for Real Aires (CAMpRA) about some of the benefits of encouraging van-based visitors to holiday destinations.

Cllr Magowan said:

"There are a number of reasons why people are staying in Falmouth which include people choosing or forced to live in vans, people from outside of Cornwall using touring vehicles as part of a holiday, and Cornish residents who may own a van that they use on weekends.

"As the requirements for each of these broad groups differ, so do the solutions that are needed to resolve the issues they face. Across Cornwall, there is a shortage of affordable, suitable, and safe locations for van users to stay for more than just a short visit".

The Van Working Group is working with Cornwall Council, landowners, and other stakeholders to find alternative sites that could be used for people who live in vans. Cllr Laurie Magowan and Cllr Jayne Kirkham are taking a motion to Cornwall Council in November with several recommendations to address the issues, as part of the ongoing housing crisis in Cornwall.

Cllr Jayne Kirkham says "It's important that Cornwall Council takes a range of approaches to support people in housing need, with the difficulties people face as part of the cost of living likely to increase in the coming months. We're asking the Council to support the identification of suitable sites and ensure adequate facilities are in place to meet the need of an increasing number of people living in vans in Cornwall".

The introduction of parking restrictions is also being considered to address some of the issues raised locally in Falmouth, Cllr Magowan shared their thoughts on the idea: "One approach to addressing the rising levels of concerns is to introduce parking restrictions along seafront areas and though this won't address the wider housing and social issues, I have a responsibility to respond to issues raised by residents and businesses".